The Counter-Invasion
By: Jay Winger

Timeline Note: This chapter picks up the Thursday after the last one.
Teaser: The Storm has broken Stone Cold's neck. The Gemini continue to cause problems, and who's the Alliance's fourth entrant in the Women's Title Tournament?
Rating: R - for violence and profanity
Disclaimer: All things WWF and WCW are property of WWE, Inc. All things ECW are property of whomever the frell owns ECW. All things CIW are property of me. The characters of "The Storm" Matthew Skinner, Claire "Rain" Whittaker, Billy Rose, Brad "Brick" Dickerson, the band Cold Steel, et al. are also my property. Please ask before you use them. Lyrics from "Defy You" by Offspring are used without permission.

Previously: The Storm was eerily unresponsive to Vince McMahon's cautions, after being found watching a tape of Summerslam 97. The Gemini arrived and were promptly dismissed by Billy Rose, who didn't want them antagonizing Undertaker. Christian commentated as Edge def. Rhyno, in spite of Christian's interference. It was also announced that the brothers would face each other again at Wrestlemania -- in a Ladder Match. The Gemini returned to the arena, attempting to buy off the APA for protection, but pissed off Bradshaw and had an impromptu title defense, in which Gemini def. APA to retain. After the match, Undertaker rode out and attacked the Twins with a biker chain, choking out Pollux with it. Victor E and Rose discussed the recent respectful rivalry between Victor and Rob Van Dam, with Victor assuring Rose he wasn't going to defect. RVD showed up and agreed that he wouldn't try to recruit Victor, but that he'd always be there in the Alliance for Victor if he changed his mind. Victor returned the sentiment. Test showed up after the CIWers left and had angry words with RVD over the matter. In the main event, Stone Cold def. Booker T after several finisher reversals, but after the match, The Storm turned up, attacking Austin with a chair, then revisited Summerslam 97 by giving Austin the infamous "Owendriver" (inverted piledriver) onto the steel chair, rebreaking Austin's neck to end the show.

FYI: List of Champions:
WWF World - Triple H (WECW) / WCW World - The Storm (WWF)
Intercontinental - Christian (WECW) / U.S. - Victor E (CIW)
WWF Tag - Dudley Boyz (WECW) / WCW Tag - The Gemini (CIW)
Light-Heavyweight - X-Pac (WWF) / Cruiserweight - Billy Kidman (WECW)
European - vacant / Women's - vacant / Hardcore - Rob Van Dam (WECW)

Chapter 28: Of Things To Come
Thursday: Smackdown!, March 13 - 10 days to Wrestlemania

Smackdown! kicked off with a video package, highlighting the brewing animosity between The Storm and Stone Cold, culminating with the end of Raw the Monday before, with The Storm delivering an inverted piledriver on a chair. The fans started booing after the video package aired, then cheered as the opening credits and pyros played.

As the smoke cleared, the TitanTron lit up with the opening lines of "No Chance." There was a dip in the cheers as Vince McMahon strode down the ramp, accompanied by Billy Rose. As they got in the ring with microphones, Vince spoke, "All right, all right, cut the music." He paused for a moment, then continued, "After what happened on Monday, I have a few things to address. First and foremost is, of course, the WCW Champion, Matthew Skinner." The crowd booed heavily at the mention of the Force of Nature. "Matthew Skinner has become a liability to the WWF, and while I would like nothing more than to fire him for his actions last Monday on Raw, at the same time, I cannot fire him because the Alliance will snap him up in a split second."

The chairman paused again as the crowd made their feelings known, then went on. "Matthew Skinner will not be here tonight, but he will explain his reasons for attacking Stone Cold live via satellite from our studios in Stamford, Connecticut. Tonight, we'll get a glimpse inside the mind of The Storm! Hopefully, we'll also get some answers." He turned to Rose. "Now, onto other matters, namely, the WCW Tag Team Champions, Castor and Pollux. Billy Rose, the Gemini are members of your CIW contingent, aren't they?"

Rose sighed and raised his mic. "Yes, Vince, they are."

"And are you -- and by 'you,' I mean CIW -- are you or are you not fighting the Invasion on the side of the WWF?"

"Yes, Vince, we are," the CIW ringleader agreed. He raised his hand. "I know what you're going to say, Vince. You want to know why Castor and Pollux keep antagonizing the Undertaker and Kane. Now, I can't claim to be psychic, I don't know exactly what they're thinking, but I can give you some insight." He spread his hands. "Back in CIW, the Gemini were, arguably, the greatest tag team on the West Coast. They didn't back down from a single challenge, and they defeated everyone they came across. They might have lost now and again, but everyone they faced, they took down. The Gemini have even beaten Brick, and you know that's not easy to do, Vince." McMahon grudgingly nodded.

Rose went on: "So now they're in the same federation as the Undertaker and Kane, a team that has been said to be unbeatable. The Twins saw that as a challenge, and took it upon themselves to meet that challenge. Which they did." Now he stepped forward toward Vince. "But understand this, Vince, the Twins were pushed into this. They would have been quite content to just beat Taker and Kane and walk away. But Taker and Kane kept pushing them back. Castor and Pollux don't respond well to that sort of thing, so they did what they usually do to those sort of threats. They remove them from the equation."

"They powerbombed Kane off the stage!" Mr. McMahon snapped angrily. "They're making the WWF and CIW fight amongst themselves! You were supposed to level the playing field, you and CIW, but we're worse off now than when we started!"

"Understand, Vince, that while I might be calling the shots with CIW, I still don't have a lot of respect with all of them," the Californian pointed out. "There's still a lot of resentment over my leaving CIW back before it folded. Now, they'll take my advince, and they'll listen to me, more or less, but they're still angry at me."

Vince glowered at him. "Well, they'd better step in line. Because tonight, in this very ring, the Undertaker is going to settle some of his issues with them. So it's going to be one of the Gemini versus the Undertaker, tonight!" The fans cheered.

Rose smiled and nodded. "That sounds absolutely fine by me, Vince. We also need to deal with the matter of the WWF's titles that are currently being held by members of the Alliance. Firstly, the WWF Tag Champions, the Dudleys." He smiled. "With your permission, Vince, I would like the authority to make their matches for tonight."

"Permission granted," Vince said without hesitation.

"All right, then. Tonight, in this very ring, we'll see D-Von Dudley take on the walking, talking 'Blue Streak,' Zeta, in singles competition, and Bubba Ray Dudley will take on the man with the strongest right hand in the business, the 'Bruiser from Baltimore,' Zed." Cheers followed this announcement. Rose smiled. "And just to make sure that bastard Triple H doesn't have an easy night, let's give him a bit of a challenge to warm him up for Wrestlemania. Tonight, 'The Game' will take on the seven-foot-tall, five-hundred-pound Big Show." Big cheers for this as well.

Vince gave a broad smile. "Well, by God, Billy, I think you've got a talent for this. Those matches are on!" Another eruption of cheers, which then turned into boos as the opening strains of "This is Extreme" started up. Wearing his usual arrogant smirk, Paul Heyman strode out, microphone in hand. He stopped at the top of the stage, flanked by Palumbo and O'Haire, who were apparently serving as his bodyguards.

"Ah-hem, ah-hem!" Heyman elaborately made a show of clearing his throat. This just served to annoy the crowd. The ECW mastermind smirked at the two men in the ring. "It seems to me that you gentlemen -- and I use the term lightly -- have forgotten that, as WCW's championships are our property, this gives the Alliance the authority to book the champions' matches! And as our titles are held by your wrestlers, Mr. McMahon, this means we get to book their matches." He seemed to finally notice his two bodyguards, and added, "Oh, and by the way, in case anyone gets any dumb ideas, like jumping me, Mr. O'Haire and Mr. Palumbo are providing me with some extra security tonight."

The two dethroned WCW Tag Champs both glowered menacingly at the booing fans. Heyman smiled again. "Firstly, Billy, your top dog in CIW, Victor E, will put his United States Championship on the line tonight in singles competition." He gave an evil little chuckle. "And just to make sure the WWF/CIW Coalition has more troubles, his opponent tonight will be the man you like to call the 'Act of God,' Scion." Boos followed this, while Rose seethed in the ring, looking at Heyman with utter loathing. The ECW mastermind just smiled again. "And by the way, Vince, my associates and I in the Alliance leadership thank you for booking the Gemini's match tonight. That match is still on." He shook his head. "I hardly have to do anything, Vince, you and Mr. Rose and everyone else in the WWF and CIW are doing our job for us."

Heyman shared a chuckle with his two bodyguards, then spoke again. "By the way, tonight is the last quarterfinal match for the Women's Championship Tournament, gentlemen (again, I use the term lightly), and our fourth and final entrant is here, and she will tear through everyone in her path to claim what she deserves. Tonight, the road to Wrestlemania will be paved with the bodies of the WWF and CIW, as the Alliance attains its rightful place in our industry."

The ECW mastermind and his bodyguards prepared to leave, but then Rose spoke up. "Hey, Paulie!" The three men stopped. "You know, I have to admit, you are one of the smartest men in the business. I will give you that. But, Paul, I am the Mental Elite. If you think causing the WWF/CIW Coalition to attack itself is going to stop us from winning this war, you are dead wrong. There's always been internal power struggles within our two companies, Paul, and here's what you need to keep in mind: we're still here!" The crowd popped. "Vince McMahon defeated WCW. He drove it back and survived the Monday Night War. CIW only lost because the extreme wrestling niche had already been filled by a corpulent bingo-hall promoter who kept losing his television deals because of the illegal things he put on his show. It makes me sick, Paul, that the reason my company folded is because people would rather have watched the garbage you put on TV instead of the product I would have given them."

Rose paused as the fans cheered him on, then continued. "Paul Heyman, you go back to those little maggots you take your marching orders from, and you tell them that the Coalition will not stop until we are carted off in body bags. We will fight to the death!"

Vince McMahon stepped forward now. "You're damn right we will!" he growled, to a huge pop. "I've fought and beaten better men than the likes of you, Paul Heyman, and if you think you and my ungrateful children are going to take me down, you haven't got a chance in HELL!"

The segment ended with the fans cheering on Vince and Rose, while Heyman, Palumbo, and O'Haire glared from the ramp.

The fans were still hyped for the show when the first match of the night, Zeta versus D-Von Dudley, came up. By order of WWF Commissioner William Regal, and the extra enforcement of Brick, both Zed and Bubba Ray were banned from ringside. In the early stages, Zeta kept D-Von on his toes with his lightning fast style, attacking quickly and without hesitation. Soon, however, he missed a somersault plancha to the outside and landed on the floor when D-Von jumped aside. This allowed the Dudley Boy to take Zeta into the ring and start picking him apart, putting a lot of focus on the neck, in preparation for either his super neckbreaker or diving reverse DDT finisher.

Zeta managed to rally late in the match, and looked to have the match won after nailing an enzuigiri which all but knocked D-Von unconscious. When Zeta went to the top rope for a Zetasault, however, the Dudley jumped up, clobbered him in the back, then climbed up to grab his head and bend it back over his shoulder. With a leap, D-Von jumped out into the ring, hauling Zeta out in his super neckbreaker. A three-count later, D-Von had won.

The ring cleared and prepped for the next match, which was the last quarterfinal match for the Women's Title. The crowd popped as the opening chords of Lita's theme "LoveFuryPassionEnergy" by Boy Hits Car played. The Xtreme Diva ran out on stage and pumped her hands in the air, flashing the "guns" sign, then ran down to the ring, sliding in and posing on the corners. She brushed her red hair back out of her eyes, then bounced on her feet in wait.

"The Alliance has offered up Mighty Molly, Stacy Keibler, and Ivory for the tournament so far," Michael Cole noted from ringside. "But the Alliance leadership has been relatively silent about their fourth entrant. Tazz, anything you can tell us?"

"I'm as much in the dark as you guys are," the thug from Red Hook said to Cole and Jim Pickett. "Shane and Steph and Paul haven't been telling me anything."

Lita's music finally faded. There was a moment's silence, and then a saxophone chord rang in the arena, accompanied by dark slow rock music. A very jazzy theme, which suited the woman who stalked out of the entrance, standing firm and raising her arms up, flexing her impressive biceps. Her name flashed on the TitanTron over clips from ECW. Jazz.

"It's Jazz!" Tazz exclaimed. "Holy cow, Lita's in for it now!"

Jazz wore a simple black outfit, but over this she wore a hooded jacket like a boxer would wear, sleeveless. She threw the hood back, then threw the jacket at the base of the ramp as she stomped down and stepped through the ropes. As soon as the bell rang, which was just after Jazz finished coming into the ring, she bum-rushed Lita, grabbing her around the waist, hauling her up and slamming her down hard in a modified Bossman Slam. The crowd and the announcers were impressed and surprised at the speed and strength of the ECW diva.

Lita managed to kick out of the quick cover that Jazz made. Without hesitating, the New Orleans native started pummeling the Xtreme Diva with stiff right hands and forearms. Backing Lita into the corner, she struck her hard, then moved out to get a head of steam for a charging avalanche. Lita dove out of the way, however, and Jazz plowed into the turnbuckle. The fans cheered as Lita promptly started attacking with right hands of her own, but Jazz got up and shrugged them off as if they were nothing more than spitwads. She delivered a stiff kick to the stomach, then snared Lita with a double-underhook and suplexed her hard. Jazz stood up and spread her arms to the crowd. "The bitch is back, now!" she yelled.

Behind her, Lita managed to nip to her feet, but Jazz blocked her offense and kicked her in the stomach again. This time, the ECW diva shot off the ropes and came back with a ferocious kneelift to the side of the head. Next, Jazz backed up and delivered a high legdrop, then covered for a near-fall. Jazz just sneered and got up, backed up and prepared to deliver a running big splash. This time, however, Lita rolled out of the way, so the aggressive woman hit the mat hard. Lita rolled out of the ring quickly to get her breath back, but Jazz recovered much quicker than the Xtreme Diva expected. She rolled out and attempted to attack Lita, but she fought back, bouncing Jazz's head off the apron a few times. She went to whip Jazz into the ring steps, but Jazz reversed it and Lita plowed into them back first. Jazz didn't let up, she delivered a bearhug, lifted Lita up and drove her spine into the post.

The action returned to the ring, as the relentless Jazz continued her assault on Lita's back. She delivered elbows to the back and wrenched in a vicious rear chinlock, driving her knee into the back to increase the pain. When the WWFer started to get back up, Jazz lifted her knee back and drove it forward again, but released the chinlock. The announcers were clamoring over Jazz's aggressiveness. Lita had hardly gotten any offense in, and she was one of their top wrestlers. Jazz pulled Lita to her feet, stood behind her, and applied a double chicken-wing from behind before lifting Lita over her head in a painful submission hold. After several long, excruciating moments, Jazz threw Lita face-first to the mat in front of her, then promptly dropped another stiff elbow on her back. Before Lita could move, Jazz snared a leg and then locked her hands across her face in an STF. Lita screamed in pain as her neck and back were stretched painfully. She struggled in vain to reach the ropes, but it was to no avail. As she reached the minute-mark in the submission hold, she finally slapped her hand on the mat.

Jazz just sneered in triumph as she kept the hold locked in for almost a minute longer before she released Lita, who slumped to the mat. Jazz stood up, basking in the jeers and boos from the crowd, while she flexed her biceps again and raised her hand in victory. The referee stooped to check on Lita, who hadn't gotten up, then summoned medics to the ring as Jazz walked up the ramp, shouting at the crowd. "I'm gonna be the champ, baby! Queen Bitch Number One!"

"I hate to say this," Michael Cole said quietly, "but it appears we have found the Alliance's ringer for the Women's Title."

Backstage, Victor E taped up his wrists and tied his boots. Billy Rose walked in. "Hey, Vic, got a minute?"

"Sure, Billy." Victor stood up, picking up his U.S. Title and putting it over his shoulder. "What d'you need?"

Rose sighed. "It's this match that Heyman put you in with Scion. You know how I feel about Coalition guys fighting each other."

"Yeah, Billy, it's okay," Victor spread his hands. "Nothing you can do. Scion knows the score. We won't go easy on each other, but we're not gonna tear each other to little wet bits either. No worries."

"Yeah, thanks for that," the CIW ringleader said. "But there's something else. Just something doesn't feel right..."

"Billy, relax!" Victor grinned. "Ain't nothing gonna keep the Triumphant One down. I'm Victor E, baby! I'm not gonna let the Coalition down." He clapped Rose on the shoulder, then headed out to the ring for his match.

Victor held the belt high and flashed his V-for-Victor E hand sign as he posed in the ring. His music played as he bounced back and forth on his feet to keep himself limber and quick in preparation. The crowd was cheering for him, as he had, in recent weeks, put on a series of good matches, and he'd also shut up the annoying Chris "Who Betta Than" Kanyon. He handed the belt to the ref, who held it as Victor's music wound down.

The lights dimmed as the somber, dirge-like theme of Scion played. The black-robed wrestler walked out, hands clasped around his silver cross as he silently prayed to himself before the match. His golden blond hair hung over his shadowed face as he slowly reached the bottom of the ramp, raising a hand and making the sign of the cross at it before climbing the steps and coming through the ropes. He knelt and faced the corner, finishing his prayer, and stood, turning to face Victor. The last CIW Champion held out his hand in a sign of good sportsmanship. The robed figure lowered his hands, looked at the outstretched hand, then abruptly swung his foot up and slammed it into Victor's face in a Big Boot.

Everyone in the arena gasped and stared in shock as Victor crumpled. The robed man reached up and pulled back his hood, revealing it was not Scion underneath, but Test!

Victor started to get up, but Test sneered and put the boots to the Californian's head, hauling him upright, then taking the cross in his hand and striking him across the head with it. He did this several times, until he drew blood. Test laughed and picked the bloodied champion up, holding his head under his arm in a reverse DDT position. He held Victor there, snarled, then swung under and down, until he landed on his back and Victor's face slammed into the mat in the 'Test Drive.' He was about to continue the assault when Brick, Smoker, and Hal Maxim came charging down to the ring. Test dropped the bloody cross and slid out of the ring, ducking around and up the ramp as the CIWers converged to check on Victor. The WCW turncoat grinned and threw off the robe as he left. He made the "I want the belt" sign and raised his arms in smug triumph.

As the top of the hour rolled around, the announcers spoke to the camera and viewers at home. "Ladies and gentlemen," Michael Cole said, "as you are aware, Stone Cold Steve Austin was seriously injured last Monday on Raw at the hands of 'The Storm' Matthew Skinner. Stone Cold had just pinned Booker T when The Storm jumped in the ring and attacked him with a steel chair, but it didn't end there. The Storm then picked Stone Cold up and gave him a piledriver onto a steel chair. Early reports from the doctors say that his neck has been broken again, and his eligibility to compete for the WCW Championship at Wrestlemania is now in question. Earlier today, The Storm was at our studios in Stamford, and recorded this message, explaining his actions."
The Storm sat in a chair in a dim-lit room. He wore a simple black T-Shirt with no slogan or catchphrase on it, and no sunglasses. The recent scars from his constant wounds to his forehead were there, and it almost seemed as though there was still dried blood on his face under his eyes, but of course that was just a trick of the light. He just stared into the camera, not speaking to it, not really speaking to anyone, but making his thoughts voiced.

"Who was the popular wrestler of our time? Who has sold more merchandise than any other? Who sold out more venues than anyone? Who's the biggest hellraiser in the WWF? Who is the toughest S.O.B.?" He chuckled. "Everyone knows the answer: Stone Cold Steve Austin. "There are similarities between us. We're both former King of the Ring winners. We're both former Intercontinental Champions, former Tag Team Champions. We're both known for our smash-mouth, in-your-face brawling-style of wrestling, mixed with excellent technical skill. We're both tough-as-nails, all-go, absolutely no-quit, never-say-die, never-surrender, no-mercy. We're both survivors of bloodbaths, street fights, and Hell in a Cell matches. He's a former World Champion, while I am a current World Champion -- holder of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship."

The Storm's face suddenly hardened and his voice took on an edge. "But his time is over. His time was 1996, when he won the King of the Ring, when he ushered in the age of Austin 3:16 with those immortal words – 'Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!' His time was 1997, when he poured his blood all over the mat in his war with Bret 'The Hitman' Hart. His time was 1998, when he won over the 'Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels, and become the WWF Champion. His time was 1999, when he overcame the Corporation and won the WWF Championship again. That was his time. He slashed his hand through the air. "Austin's time is over. It's 2003, and it's my time now." He thrust his thumb into his chest. "I am the new hellraiser. I am the toughest S.O.B. now. "The reason I gave Austin that piledriver last Monday was because Austin had no idea what awaited him. He does not realize that I am just as deadly as a Rattlesnake. In fact, I am deadlier. A snake may choose not to bite you. A snake might get scared off if you strike it first. But I am not a snake. I am a Force of Nature. And you cannot scare off a Force of Nature. There is no chance that a Force of Nature will pass you by if you stand in its path. I cannot be intimidated. All his little head games will just make it worse for him, because like a bolt of lightning, my wrath is hot and focused. He thinks because he's had a broken neck that he knows what pain is? He has no idea. When he comes to Wrestlemania-- and I know he will because his pride demands it -- when he comes to the ring, I will break him down, I will break his neck, and then -- then, after he lies broken on the mat, bloodied and battered -- he will know what pain is."

The sudden rush of anger faded, and The Storm sat back, an eerie smile on his face. "1996 started the Era of Austin. He was the man everybody wanted to beat. He took on all comers and never backed down. Now it is 2003, and thanks to the title I'm holding, now I am the guy with the bull's-eye on his back. Now I am the one who takes on everybody and never backs down. As I said before, his time is over. At Wrestlemania, the Era of Austin will come to an end. A new era will begin – my Era. As far as Austin is concerned, Monday night was his Storm Warning. Today is just a simple restatement of the facts: Austin, it's time for you... to prepare... for pain."

Then, still smiling his evil little smile, The Storm pulled off his mic, stood up, and left.

After that chilling message, and a commercial break, Lillian Garcia stood backstage with the Gemini. They were wearing tight long-sleeve shirts, showing off their physique, but one of them wore bandages around his neck. "Castor, Pollux," she began, but the unbandaged one interrupted her.

"He's Pollux, I'm Castor." Castor sniffed and folded his arms. Lillian stared at him, until he glared and gestured impatiently. "Go on."

"Tonight, one of you will be taking on the Undertaker in a one-on-one match-up. The Undertaker's been coming after you both since you attacked his brother, Kane."

"S'right, Lillian," Castor said. "The old dog's getting a bit upset, because there's two big dogs angling to take over his little yard. He just don't wanna accept the fact that me and Pol are going to kick the old dog to the curb. His little bike and chain don't scare us, Lillian. It pisses us off." He pointed to Pollux. "Look what he did to Pollux! He hasn't been able to eat solid food all week! He can't even talk!" He glared. "Well, since Undertaker's so respected," he spat out the word so that there wasn't any in the word, "we'll be generous, even though he doesn't deserve it for what he's done to Pollux."

He smirked and stood up straight. "If Undertaker can beat me, Castor, tonight, in that very ring, then we will grant him and Kane a WCW Tag Team Title shot at Wrestlemania. Nothing too difficult, yeah?" He smirked at Lillian, then left with his brother in tow.

The match went about as well as it might be expected for the Twin. He got very little offense in. The Undertaker beat him from pillar to post for three straight minutes, before finally heaving him high and chokeslamming him for the pin. When he stood up and posed in victory, the Twin rolled out of the ring and joined his brother on the ramp. Then the bandaged one raised a mic. "Hey, Taker!" The Dead Man turned around. The Twin grinned and removed the bandages. "Guess what? No title-shot for you! Oh yeah! That's right! You did pin my brother tonight, but guess what?"

Now the Twin who had just been beaten pulled his shirt off, exposing the tattoos on his arms. Now both of them were grinning. Castor, the one with the mic, laughed. "That's right, Taker! You pinned Pollux! I said if you pinned me, Castor, we'd give you a title-shot. Better luck next time!" The Twins laughed and turned to leave.

FWOOOM. Red flames erupted at the top of the ramp, and the towering form of the masked Kane stormed out. The Gemini recoiled in alarm as he made a beeline for them. They retreated, but Undertaker was blocking the exit by the ring. The Twins looked one way, looked the other, then jumped the barricade and hauled ass through the crowds to escape the vengeful Brothers of Destruction.

The last match before the main event (Triple H versus the Big Show) was between Zed and Bubba Ray Dudley. Zed was out to even the score after D-Von beat Zeta earlier in the night, while Bubba Ray was out to prove his team was the more dominant tag-team in the business. They went toe-to-toe for a while, trading punches, but soon Zed's boxing experience shone through as he beat Bubba back into the corner and walloped him senseless with shots to the head and body. Bubba got the momentum back with a thumb to the eyes, then started going after the legs, to keep the Bruiser from Baltimore off his feet.

Bubba dropped elbows galore on the knees and head of the Z-Man, but could not keep him down long enough for the pin. He took him outside and bashed his head off the barricade, and the ring post, but still Zed refused to stay down. Finally, as he bounced Zed's head off the turnbuckle, Bubba Ray got taken back as the Z-Man began to shake his head, snarling. He swung around and aimed a back elbow, but Bubba ducked under and aimed a slap at his bare chest. Zed cringed, but stood back up, glaring. Bubba did it again, and this time Zed unloaded a strong right hand, a straight punch: the Jawbuster.

Bubba staggered back, but before he could fall over, Zed kicked him in the stomach, hooked his head and whipped him around in the Z-Slam. A three-count later, Zed had evened up the score with the Dudleys and built up some momentum for himself and Zeta going into Wrestlemania.

The main event proved interesting. It was a non-title match, but that didn't stop the Big Show from doing everything in his considerable power to prevent Triple H from walking out under his own power. The early going was more of a game (no pun intended) of cat-and-mouse as Triple H ran from the giant and thought up a strategy. Finally, the Game started to attack Big Show's legs, trying to fell the giant so he couldn't bring his immense strength to bear. This didn't quite work, as even with only one good knee, he could still throw the Cerebral Assassin around like a rag-doll.

Despite this, Triple H was able to use his usual underhanded techniques (aided by the fact that Nick Patrick was refereeing) to obtain the advantage with some well-placed and -timed low-blows and even a chair-shot. Just for the look of the thing, he beat on Big Show some more in the corner, then started to set him up for the Pedigree. Big Show, however, was starting to shake off the cobwebs, and threw the Game off. He went to charge him in the corner, but Triple H dove aside, and left Patrick to take the brunt of it. Another low-blow and chair-shot later, he set the giant up and gave him the Pedigree in the middle of the ring.

That's when Chris Jericho jumped out of the crowd and slid into the ring. Before Triple H could turn around, Y2J charged, grabbed his head, and bulldogged him onto the chair, then followed it up with the Lionsault. Jericho grinned and ran up the ramp as Show came around and dropped his upper body across the Game's. Patrick came around and (probably without realizing the wrong guy was making the cover) counted the three.

As Big Show came around, Jericho smirked at Triple H, who glared from the mat as he realized his hated nemesis had just one-upped him again in their feud, and he had a week left to get his revenge before he had to deal with the Y2J Problem at Wrestlemania.

-more to come-
Next: The last Raw before Wrestlemania. The Storm has sworn to end the 'Era of Austin,' Chris Jericho is building up steam against Triple H, and the Coalition has become a veritable powder-keg as internal problems continue to build.

Author's Note: Hey! Sorry it took so long. Writer's block sucks. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long to write!

If you have any ideas for possible feuds/relationships for any of my characters, drop me a line!

-=Jay 2K Winger=-
August 19, 2004